my grandmother was born at the end of the 19th century in a small country town . her mother had been a suffragette and was sure to provide her daughters with an education. my grandmother went on to become a literate woman and a schoolteacher in the town.
of the few poets she quoted, one was william blake. i was reminded of his poetry after watching the movie of jim jarmusch, dead man. i got it out because it stars jonny depp .
now its a well made movie for sure telling part of the story of race relations in the americas in the 19th century from the point of view of the aborigional people. like dances with wolves. the acting is as good as one might expect. (very). but what sticks in my mind is the quotation from william blake that is something of a centrepiece.
'Every night and every morn
Some to misery are born.
Every morn and every night
Some are born to Sweet Delight,
Some are born to Endless Night.'
a critic may say that the movie is an illustration of this point. its certainly one worth illustrating. blake isnt the only place it comes up. it reminds me of different text.
unlike in my grandmother's day, now in the 21st century, rather than william blake, people read the yoga sutra of patanjali. though it doesn't have a modern format, its a text that bears close study. (it is difficult to overestimate this text )
in the sadhana padaha. ch. 2 :33 and 34.
33 when the mind is disturbed by improper thoughts, constant pondering over the opposites is the remedy.
34 as improper thoughts, emotions and actions such as violence etc whether they are done, caused to be done or abetted whether cause by greed, anger or delusion, whether present in in mild, medium or intense degree, result in endless pain and ignorance: so there is the necessity of pondering over the opposites.
the difference between what blake is saying.. which seems to be a warning that some people are doomed to hell from the word go*, and patanjali is that patanjali offers a remedy. that is to do opposite to the wrong thing you maybe be prompted to do. which is of course the correct course of action... to correct one's self. (human birth being the opportunity to do so)
as above so below and as below so above.. what applies to the individual applies to the political entity as well... ie. the state. well.. after all this is a political economy blog..
* the same idea turns up in the holy quran .. baqarah (i forget the verse no. but in the first part) where some are described as deaf, blind and dumb to the truth and will so remain.
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